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The Day the King walked in the Room
The tour guide directed the group into the Throne Room, the best exposition in the palace. “Hurry up and get in the line to look at the jewelry and clothes,” I called my sister. “We only have a few hours to visit the rest of the museum.” We chose a self-guided audio tour to squeeze in as much information as possible before the end of the day. The list of important items was way longer than our allotted time, so I raced to cover it all. It was high season, so the museum was filled with tired, grumpy people in mile-long lines. I was one of them. Out of nowhere…
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The Day I left Home to come Home
“Sit back, relax and enjoy your flight,” the captain announced. My husband and I held hands and said a quiet prayer. Tears flowing down our faces spoke what our mouths couldn’t express. I closed my eyes and tried to obey the captain. The plane took off, leaving behind not only our country, but a piece of my heart as well. It seemed like yesterday when my husband surprised me with the news: “Honey, I just got an offer to work in the United States. It’s a private practice in Athens, Georgia, a college town near Atlanta.” “What?” I cried “But we don’t know anyone there, and our whole family’s here!”…
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The Day I (Almost) Ruined our Vacation
“Let’s go mom, everybody’s waiting in the car!” My daughter tugged on my shorts and pointed to the garage as I checked the white straw bag. “I’m coming honey! I don’t want to forget anything. I just have to check the doors and windows to make sure they’re locked.” I squeezed on to the passenger seat and searched for a place to fit my cargo. Toys, towels, sunscreen lotion and goggles fought for a place in the bag, imitating the children in the back seat. “Relax, honey, you’re too stressed” my husband smiled and stroked the back of my head. “We’re not moving there. You don’t have to pack the…
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The Day my Run took an Unexpected Turn
“Remember to stay inside the neighborhood,” my husband warned me. “That main road is too isolated.” “But it’s my long run training day,” I responded. “The lady next door told me that if I take a right that road takes me into the neighborhood next to this one. It’s a loop that ends up right back here.” “We’re vacationing in the country, remember? What if you run into a wild animal, or a wild person out there?” he insisted. “Ok, ok,” I said. “Don’t worry!” I grabbed my phone and ran out the door before he could say anything else. The sunny skies and summer breeze welcomed me with a…
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Are you Ready to Play Ball?
“I got fired,” my friend sobbed. “I don’t know what to do. It was totally unexpected. I never thought it could happen to me!” She was barely holding it together. This new job seemed so promising. She had been excited and hopeful for months since she was offered the position in such a prestigious company. And just like that, two weeks into it, she was let go. “You’re not performing like we expected,” her supervisor said. “But it’s been less than two weeks! Give me a chance!” she begged unsuccessfully. What do you say to someone who’s been thrown a curve ball by life? How do you comfort someone who’s…
